Victorian Combination

Alessandra Kelley · Jan 24, 2012

Orianna2000 said:
I admit to using my machine even for an 18th century dress. But then, I wasn't entering any contests with that one. I do have an antique petticoat from the 1890s that has some hand stitching. It's remarkable how neat and even the stitches are. You almost can't tell the difference.

Since you're a hand-sewer, do you use Butterick's 1911 edition of The Dressmaker? It's a bit late for the periods I'm guessing you sew for, but most of the techniques are still valid. I've learned a great deal from it, and I've found many of its techniques used on extant garments.

Back on topic, The Dressmaker also calls them "combination garments", which I find interesting. Is "combinations" a more recent shortening of the term, perhaps? I find "combination garments" too bulky of a phrase, so I'll stick with "combinations" for my novel.

I had been meaning to address that. In the original version of my first post I called them "combinations," but then changed to the singular. I think they are either "a combination suit" or "combinations."

When I hear "union suit" I imagine a sort of one-piece long underwear, often red, with a back flap -- nothing like combinations, really.

I have a copy of Butterick's 1926 Dressmaker (actually I have three -- long story). Where on earth did you find a 1911 edition? Oh -- I do have some sewing-utility-garments-for-the-poor books from just post-Victorian, if you'd like me to dig them out and see what they have to say. I believe utilitarian underwear is addressed.

ULTRAGOTHA · Jan 24, 2012

Orianna2000 said:
Since you're a hand-sewer, do you use Butterick's 1911 edition of The Dressmaker? It's a bit late for the periods I'm guessing you sew for, but most of the techniques are still valid. I've learned a great deal from it, and I've found many of its techniques used on extant garments.

To continue the hijacking of your thread, no I don't. I'm waaaay early--6th and 9th century Northern Europe. There's almost no tailoring back then. Though I did whip up an Italian Ren whachacallit--one of those sleeveless over dress thingies with sleeves tied on--once and used a sewing machine for that. But it wasn't for a competition, either.

Alessandra Kelley said:
Wow! I'm impressed. I handsewed an 1820s-style corded linen corset once. Took forever and drove me batty.

Although, now I think about it, I handsew rather a lot in my art projects.. Machines just don't have the subtlety needed, and I am totally incapable of making them work with knits. So, for example, the second outfit down in my link, which is made of cotton jersey, is entirely handsewn.

Don't be too impressed! It was a matter of economics. 9th century Norwegian is my preferred era. I didn't have the money to do one outfit with a sewing machine and one hand stitched. So for a while there they were all hand stitched because even while I was rowing Viking Longships and playing with lots of other groups, I was reenacting at Military Through the Ages and that all had to be authentic for the judges

Plus, to do 6th century Kent, England, you take the under and over dress from the 9th century Norwegian and then you sew a big panel of cloth into a tube for a peplos. Since you've got the two selveges, you don't even have to hem. It's just one long seam. And if you do a herringbone stitch over it in contrasting wool, it's even pretty!

From speaking with friends who do corsets and more complicated periods such as Tudor, hand sewing the fiddly bits is actually easier than using a machine, as you say. Lots of layers, lots of fiddling to get it right. It's easier to adjust as you go along with hand stitching.

Orianna2000 · Jan 24, 2012

Alessandra Kelley said:
When I hear "union suit" I imagine a sort of one-piece long underwear, often red, with a back flap -- nothing like combinations, really.

That's what I picture, too. Something for men, basically. Somewhere, I have heard combinations called a union suit, but it may have been a historical novel, rather than a primary source.

I have a copy of Butterick's 1926 Dressmaker (actually I have three -- long story). Where on earth did you find a 1911 edition? Oh -- I do have some sewing-utility-garments-for-the-poor books from just post-Victorian, if you'd like me to dig them out and see what they have to say. I believe utilitarian underwear is addressed.

Go ahead and look, if you'd be so kind. I'd be interested to know what they call them.

As for my 1911 The Dressmaker, I believe I found it on either Alibris or AbeBooks, several years ago. Amazon sometimes has a few, as well. I heard that it was updated significantly for "modern times" in later versions, which is why I sought the 1911 edition. It covers pretty much everything a Victorian dressmaker would need to know: installing plackets, boning a bodice, inserting piping, and all kinds of hand sewing, including eyelets and buttonholes. I pull it out every time I have a sewing project (historic or not), although I did just download a PDF of the book so that I won't have to thumb through my antique copy so often. (Archive.org has the entire book available for free.)

ULTRAGOTHA said:
To continue the hijacking of your thread, no I don't. I'm waaaay early--6th and 9th century Northern Europe. There's almost no tailoring back then.

Ah, yes, that is earlier than me. I mostly stick to the Victorian bustle period, although I have dabbled a little in the late 18th century. Sadly, when I lost weight, my entire costume wardrobe decided not to shrink with me, so I'm now faced with the enormous challenge of starting from scratch in a smaller size.

From speaking with friends who do corsets and more complicated periods such as Tudor, hand sewing the fiddly bits is actually easier than using a machine, as you say. Lots of layers, lots of fiddling to get it right. It's easier to adjust as you go along with hand stitching.

I agree with this. I always end up doing a lot of hand sewing. (Bless the inventor of the thimble, that's all I can say!) All the bias binding on a corset or pair of stays, for example--you can sew it by machine, but the stitches will show, so I prefer to slip-stitch it by hand, so it's invisible.

Victorian Combination

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

ULTRAGOTHA

Merovingian Superhero

Orianna2000

Freelance Writer